Means for loosening the lids of cans.



0. H. THOMPSON. MEANS FOR LOOSENING THE LIDS OF CANS. APPLICATION FILED DBO. 31,1908.

979,226. Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

oswALn H. 'rnourson, or rn-rriannnrnrn, rn'nnsvnvam MEANS FQB LOOSENIHG 'QHE LIBS OF CANS.

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To all whom it may concpm;

Be it known that I, OswAnn H. THOMP- SON, a citizen of the United States, residing in Philadelphia,Pennsylvania, have invented certain Improvements in Means for Loosening the Lids of Cans, of which the following is a specification.

The pbJect of my invention is to provide means for forcing the lid of a can from its seat when it is desired to open the can; the means being carried by'the lid and acting on opposite sides of the can so that the lid may be raised bodily.

In the accompanying drawing :Figure l, is a perspective View of a can showing the lid closed and the opening device out of action; Fig. 2, is a transverse sectional view of the upper portion of the can illustrated in Fig. 1, with the opening device out of action; Fig. 3, is a view similar to Fig. 2, showing the lid pried open; Fig. 4, is a sectional view on the line 4-4, Fig. 3; Fig. 5, is a detached perspective view of the opening device; Flg. 6, is a perspective view of a modification; and Fig. 7, is a transverse sectional view of the modification illustrated in Fig. 6, with the lid raised.

Figs. 1 to 4 illustrate a type of can in which the lid is inserted in the body of the can. A is the body of the can having an internal flange a at the top, and B is the lid having an'external flange b which overlaps the flange a. Ordinaril the lid is forced into the can and when it 1s desired to remove the lid it has to be pried open by a tool engaging the flange b- Devices have been provided for raising one side of the lid, but these are cumbersome and objectionable on the ground thatthey only loosen the lid and do not entirely detach it. C is the opening device, which, in the present instance, is of wire bent to form the body portion 0, trunnions c and arms 0 The trunnions are adapted topass through perforations in the upturned portion 6 of the flange b, and the arms are of such a length that when the opener is moved to the vertical position shown in Fig. 3, the ends of the arms will press upon the flange aof the can and force the lid B off its seat, as indicated in Fig. 3.

It will be noticed in Fig. 4,that the arms are arranged directly opposite one another so as to bear on opposite sides of the can and bodily lift the lid so that all that is necessary to remove the lid is to bear upon the even n de ic which be mes a handle when in an upright position. When the deviceis out of action, as in Figs. 1 and 2, the body portion, being curved to the same contour as the internal portion of the cap, fits snugly within the cap.

cationof the device especially adapted to cans or boxesin which the lid B extends over the body portionv A. In this instance the opening device consists of a wire C having trunnions f, f and arms connected together by a section F; the arms and the cross member being end of the wire f forms the handle. As shown in Fig. 6, the opening device is out of action and the can cap may be readily inserted upon the can or box A, but when the arm f is raised, as indicated in Fig. 7 the opener presses upon the edge of the box or can and forces the body.

Thus it will be seen that I provide a very simple and effective means for forcing a cap from its seat on a can or box, so that it may be readily detached, the device lifting the lid bodily by bearing upon two diametrically opposite points.

I claim:

1. The combination of a can having an internal flange, a cap adapted to enter the top of the can and having an external flange provided with bearings, and an opening device in the from of a lever having trunnions mounted in the bearings of the cap, the ends of the lever being bent to form arms capable of engaging the internal flange of the can.

2. The combination of a can having an flange, said cap being adapted ,to be inserted in the can, part of the flange of the cap being turned up and perforated to form bearings, a lever made of wire bent to form the body portion conforming to the shape of the can, and two trunnions adapted to the bearin s in the cap, the ends of the wire being flent to form arms torest against the internal flange of the body portion.

3. The combination with a receptacle having an interior ledge and a depending seat, of a friction cover having a depending member engaging the said seat, a bail journaled in the depending member, the journal extremities of the bail occupying a position above the ledge, Whenthe cover is in-place,

within the cap and one cap away from the internal flange, a cap having an external Specification i ter men- 1 Patented Dec. 20, 1910.

In Figs. 6 and 7, I have shown a modifiv omee y tion lying in the plane of thebody of the bail, and adapted to serve as a cam when the bail is raised for opening purposes, substantially as described.

In testimony whereof, I have signed my name to this specification, in the presence of 'two subscribing witnesses.

OSWALD H. THOMPSON. Witnesses:

Jos. H. KLEIN, WEI-A. BARR. 

